Passengers stealing our fare charts: Taxi drivers

Cabbies in the city with mechanical meters claim that ever since they were asked to attach the sheets to the back of their seats, many of them have been flicked by commuters

While taxi users in the city have their own set of grievances against drivers who overcharge or refuse to ply, the latter have now turned the tables on their customers. While the issue has nothing to do with taxi fares, taxi drivers in the city are frustrated with passengers, who they say have been stealing the fare charts that are pasted behind the driver’s seat.

After the taxi fare hike, taxi drivers who didn’t have electronic meters in their vehicles were told to attach the fare chart on the back of their seats so that passengers could refer to them.

Un-fare: Cabbies yet to calibrate their meters have been told to tape the charts to the back of their seats to prevent them from being stolen

However, drivers are now complaining that passengers are taking the charts with them when they alight, forcing them to arrange for a new chart each time. Taxi drivers say that they have also made an official complaint with their union.

In fear of their fare charts being stolen, drivers are now pasting the charts with several layers of tape to the seat.

Bhola Pandey, a taxi driver who operates in Dadar, said, “Once when I had completed my work for the day, I noticed that the fare chart pasted on the seat was missing. I lost four more charts after that incident and decided to convert my meter to an electronic one.”

Another driver, Vaibhav More, said that many of his colleagues were also complaining about the theft of fare charts from their taxis.

“I am one of the many victims whose charts have been stolen. It happened two times with me, after which I took a photocopy of the chart and stuck it on the seat with tape. It was very distracting earlier as I had to constantly keep an eye on the fare chart. Now, I can drive peacefully.”

Anthony Quadros, general secretary, Mumbai Taximen’s Union, said, “We have got many complaints from taxi drivers who are upset that the fare charts are being stolen from their vehicles. However, the incidence has decreased now, as most of the taxi drivers have got their meters recalibrated.”